1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to energy conservation devices, and more particularly, to a fuel heating apparatus for carburetor-equipped vehicles which is designed to increase the engine fuel efficiency and to improve the gasoline or other fuel mileage of such vehicles by preheating the fuel according to a particularly desirable technique and feeding a heated fuel-air mixture directly to the vehicle carburetor at a higher temperature than conventional carburetor-feed temperatures. The fuel heating apparatus of this invention can be quickly and easily installed on substantially any carburetor-equipped automobile or vehicle currently on the market, and has been found to be capable of substantially increasing the mileage of gasoline-powered vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many techniques have been utilized in the past for increasing the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines, and gasoline engines utilizing carburetors, in particular. Typical of such devices is the simple heat exchanger, which makes use of circulating radiator water on the shell or tube side of the exchanger to heat gasoline on the opposite side in order to increase the temperature of the gasoline before it is either injected or introduced into the carburetor of a vehicle. It is a known fact that increasing the temperature of the fuel provided to the vehicle engine increases the combustion efficiency of the engine, and increases the fuel economy of the vehicle accordingly.
Among the prior art devices designed to preheat fuel prior to introducing the fuel into the engine is the Fuel Atomizing Unit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,812. This device is characterized by a heating element disposed in a conduit feeding to a combustion chamber and is designed to heat a fuel mist prior to introduction of the mist into the combustion chamber. Another such device is provided by John A. Templeton in U.S. Pat. No. 2,596,736, which heater raises the temperature of atomized fuel to thoroughly vaporize the fuel. Yet another heating mechanism for vaporizing fuel is the Float Chamber Means for a Carburetor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,277. This device is designed to fit in the float chamber of the vehicle carburetor and to heat the fuel contained in the float chamber to avoid percolation due to abnormal vaporization of fuel. Another fuel heater is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,327, and includes a ceramic resistor body mounted at the outlet of the air-fuel passage of the vehicle carburetor to heat the passing fuel-air mixture.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved fuel heating apparatus for carburetor-equipped vehicles which is designed to raise the temperature of the incoming fuel by initially directing the fuel stream to a vaporizer box where a selected level of fuel is maintained, and subsequently heating a side stream of fuel from the vaporizer box and recycling it back into the box in a partially vaporized state for mixing with a stream of filtered air flowing through the box to the vehicle carburetor.
Another object of this invention is to provide a fuel heating apparatus for carburetor-equipped gasoline powered vehicles which includes a vaporizer box having an air inlet, a cold fuel inlet and level control means for maintaining a selected level of fuel in the box, and further provided with a recycle fuel outlet and an auxiliary fuel pump to facilitate discharge of the fuel from the box through a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of the fuel, and also having a hot fuel inlet for subsequently receiving the fuel back into the vaporizer box in a partially vaporized state for mixing with incoming air and charging the air-fuel mixture to a mixing chamber, and finally to the carburetor.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved fuel heating apparatus for carburetor-equipped, gasoline-powered vehicles which includes a vaporizer box having air inlet and fuel-air discharge means, and further provided with a fuel inlet for receiving cool fuel from the vehicle storage tank into the vaporizer box, a fuel level control for maintaining a desired level of fuel in the vaporizer box, and heat exchanger means for heating the fuel and reintroducing it into the vaporizer box for mixing with the air stream and charging the fuel-air mixture into a mixing chamber for subsequent introduction into the vehicle carburetor.
Another object of this invention is to provide a fuel heating apparatus for increasing the fuel efficiency of vehicles equipped with carburetors which includes a primary, mechanically operated fuel pump, and valve means for pumping the liquid fuel initially into the vehicle carburetor, and subsequently to a vaporizer box fitted with a fuel level control for maintaining a selected level of fuel in the box; an electric auxiliary fuel pump for circulating the liquid fuel from the vaporizer box pool through a heat exchanger and back into the vaporizer box in a partially vaporized state for mixing with an air stream flowing through the box; and a mixing chamber for receiving the air and fuel, and further mixing it prior to introduction of the mixture into the vehicle carburetor.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a method for increasing the fuel efficiency of an internal combustion engine, and a carburetor-equipped gasoline engine in particular, by initially pumping liquid fuel to the carburetor in conventional fashion to warm the engine; subsequently directing the fuel to a vaporizer box having a fuel level control means to maintain a specified level of fuel therein; recycling the fuel from the vaporizer box through a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of the fuel, and injecting the partially vaporized fuel again into the box; moving a stream of air through the box and mixing the heated and vaporized fuel with the air; charging the heated air-fuel mixture into a mixing chamber for further mixing of the fuel and air; and continuously charging the fuel-air mixture to the carburetor for introduction into the engine.